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Smoothie King stores under fire in Charlotte for racial slurs on receipts

By CNN Newsource

Charlotte, N.C. — Two employees at Smoothie King stores in Charlotte are out of a job after photos of receipts on social media show racial slurs instead of the customers’ names.

Both locations were closed on Monday while the entire staff underwent sensitivity training.

“I just walked into the Smoothie King [on Sunday] with my children to get a couple smoothies,” said Tony Choi, a customer, who would end up leaving the shop furious.

“I just noticed that they were giggling and stuff and laughing behind the counter.”

But what they were giggling about wasn’t funny.

“I noticed that they typed in Jackie Chan for my name, instead of asking for my name,” Choi said.

Choi said he walked out of the Davis Lake Parkway location with his young children frustrated and angry. Shortly after, he learned of another, similar incident from the same day.

“I was very shocked when I saw that picture and it was right down the street, the same day, a few hours apart,” Choi said.

Another customer, Calvin Caldwell said he was at a Smoothie King along Mount Holly-Huntersville Road on Sunday when his name was listed as the “n-word” on his receipt.

“I thought it was very disrespectful — I thought it was very rude,” Caldwell said. “Especially since I’m a paying customer and I’m a loyal customer because I come to Smoothie King often, and I thought it was in bad taste and completely inappropriate to use that kind of language.”

The CEO of Smoothie King said what happened is “totally unacceptable” and against “every value that we stand for.”

The two involved employees were fired.

“Hopefully they learn from this situation and know what they did wrong, and take things seriously,” Choi said. “You don’t joke around about things like that.”

Choi said he received calls from a Smoothie King corporate official, and the owner of the involved franchise apologized for the incident.